The phrase "fake news" has now gained considerable validity, no thanks to politicians and celebrities who have been using the term to conveniently shoot down any story they deem destructive to their public image. Are they being too defensive for their own good?

Well, we're not going to lie. There are stories out there that are so far out and detached from reality that they border on the absurd. And yet, people still believe them. You know why? Because usually, these silly news bits involve their favorite celebrities.

It all started with a video posted on YouTube purporting the whole thing, going on to cite ABS-CBN's Mario Dumaual's alleged interview with Mark Anthony's erstwhile leading lady, Claudine Barretto, as the source.

This one is laughable because the whole thing started on social media, with Sharon taking to the same platform to share her "pain and fatigue." Some crafty netizens then spun the whole thing, until one came out with the malicious headline. Of course, like a dutiful celebrity eager to fan the flames of controversy, Sharon broke her silence via Facebook.

She wrote, "Basta po yung may sakit daw po akong HIV is super fake news. God have mercy on the souls of those responsible for this horrible 'joke.'" Don't worry, Shawie. We were not laughing.

This one came out in 2016, with the boxing legend supposedly making the announcement in a statement right before his fight against Jesse Vargas.

Of course, we all know that Manny is still a senator (*sigh*) and has even earned the endorsement of President Rodrigo Duterte for the presidential seat. The Pambansang Kamao wanted to make things clear when he said: "My priority is my legislative works." Damn it.

It all started with a report on a news website claiming that Pia was caught at an airport in Kuala Lumpur with 10 kilograms of cocaine. To add legitimacy to the item, it even quoted the beauty queen as saying she'd been set up.

A few eagle-eyed netizens took to the matter like rats to poison, posting it on their social media accounts. It got the attention of Pia's manager, Esther Swan, who then clarified the situation on Facebook. "Not sure who the young woman is in this news post," her post read, "but I hope help comes her way. Miss Universe, Pia Wurtzbach, has never been to Malaysia and has been working in the States for the past week."

This one has been making the rounds since your dad was a kid. According to university records, the oblation was not based on Da King, but National Artist Guillermo Tolentino's assistant and protege, Anastacio Caedo as with his brother-in-law, Virgilio Raymundo.

So how did this rumor start? According to Dr. Jose Victor Torres, associate professor at De La Salle University's History Department, "Siguro noong time na yun popular si Fernando Poe bilang isang artista."